Nissan Frontier 2005+

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During the last summer, I found the my 05 Nissan frontier had some noise and feel there was an vibration when I drive over 60 miles an hour. I couldn't find anything wrong, so on November 20th, I visited Nissan dealer let them check what really happened; the Nissan technician told me the the front drive shaft u joint went off and this caused the vibration noise. The issue is my truck was only 48,500 miles during that visit and I don't expect that kind of problem happened with that mileage. Do you folks think this is a normal? I don't do off-road at all even the truck has 4x4 option.Appreciate any responses!

My frontier truck is just over 5 years old now; about six months ago I went to Auto Zone store purchased the battery and replaced it, so far nothing wrong with the it. So I guess if you are going to replace the battery by yourself, it should be fine.

I had the same issue with my rear drive shaft and u joint, mine had 66,000 on it. My rear axle seals had also busted. I wrote a letter to Nissan prior to this because of all the other things I had trouble with. Luckily the Regional Manager at the dealership I went to was kind enough to eat the repair costs and I didn't pay anything. I'm also in the process of fighting the fuel level sensor failure, it first appeared at 80k. I will say that since I had the drive shaft, u-joint and axle seals fixed the trucks been good and I'm sitting at 130k miles. I have the Nismo and rarely use the 4 wheel drive, but never off road with it. Hope this helps.

After the third try, it seems Nissan has finally fixed the fuel sending unit on my 2006 XE. They agreed to replace the whole fuel pump assembly on their dime. (I think that is what it was.) So far so good. It appears to be working properly.Last week I got a notice that Nissan would extend the warranty on the radiator assembly to 96 months or 80,000 miles.I also got notification that they want to replace my engine control module. They already reprogramed it in another recall.

My 2005 Frontier NISMO first started having problems around 55,000 miles. The first major problem involved the timing belt tensioners which made a whining noise. The repair cost was over $1,000. I thought that was a fluke with the truck but boy was I wrong. Immediately after that I noticed oil on my garage floor under the front right side of my NISMO. I returned to the dealer thinking they forgot to tighten something during the tensioner repair. It turned out to be a leaking front axel which set me back another $400. Ok, so consecutive problems and I should be done right? Wrong. After they repaired the front axel leak I experienced a randomly occurring vibration noise. It's similar to the noise/vibration you feel when you drive over the ripples near the edge of the interstate. Once again I took it to the dealer. The dealer diagnosis was bad U-Joints (front). They replaced those at $450 but the problem persisted. After keeping it for a day and a half, they finally figured out the problem was with the radiator leaking coolant into the transmission. Now they want $5,500 to replace the radiator and transmission. I just hit 80,000 miles. I'm done pouring money into this defective vehicle. During my research I've found quite a few other reports of people experiencing similar problems with failed radiators contaminating transmission. This appears to be an engineering/manufacturing defect instead of routine maintenance. All of my scheduled maintenance was performed by the dealer I purchased the vehicle from . The truck was well cared for and should never have experienced these major failures. I'm waiting on Nissan to let me know what they will do to make this right. I'm hoping they stand behind their product... but then again I am an optimistic kinda guy.

Update: Just heard from the dealer and they've agreed to replace the transmission. It appears Nissan does care about their customers.

I recently purchased an '06 Frontier XE. I've begun hearing a loud ticking noise coming from in the dashboard shortly after starting the engine. The noise lasts for approximately 10 seconds then goes away and doesn't occur every time but is very annoying when it does. The dealer says it may have to do with the passenger airbag running a "self-test" and is probably normal. I find that to be an unsatisfactory response. Any ideas or similar experiences?

I was lucky enough that my dealer service department went to bat for me. The dealer I purchased the Frontier from was the same one that performed all of the scheduled maintenance. They didn't identify the problem during the numerous times it was in for service. In fact, they said there really wasn't anything that could've been done to prevent the failure or identify it early enough to prevent damaging the transmission. It took about 2 months for a replacement (rebuilt) transmission to arrive but I was ok with that since I didn't have to pay for it. My only out of pocket cost was the radiator replacement.

No new tires for more than a year and no rotation in about six months - and no flats either. The light was just suddenly on and hasn't gone out. The only thing the owner's manual suggests is gettng the dealer to check it out. I was hoping to avoid that. I didn't see anything about retraining the tire pressure monitoring system in the manual.

Just last week I had to pumped all mine on my 2006 to 40 psi to get my light to go out. I found a tire low at 28, and raised it to 32-without looking at the door jam sticker. Light stayed on, then read "35 psi minimum, cold".

Ticked me off, so I jacked them all to 40, drove to Walmart (3 miles) and back and the light went out.

Now I understand why my OEM tires have more tread on the outside edges than in the middle!

Actually shuffles, I have inflated my tires to 40 psi cold since I took delivery on 8-10-2011. I forget what the door jamb says on my 2011 Frontier CC, but I believe it was something like 35 psi, so I ways bump it up 5 psi, which makes it 40 psi.

I will never buy a Nissan (anything) again. Before I have 100K miles, the truck fails smog. You must pay the dealer $850 for a new catalytic converter, for just the part. The truck has 2 of them. You can't buy aftermarket. No wonder they can burn you so badly. On top of that, I took it in for transmission service. I learned the truck needs special transmission fluid from dealer. $12 per quart. Call them if you don't belive me. The fuel pump went out as well, which happens to nearly all these nissan trucks if you look into it. Unless your prepared to spend a couple thousand or more to pass smog, before you even break 100K or want to deal with faulty parts and computers, look for anything else besides a Nissan.

Causes of Catalytic Converter FailureThere are two ways a converter can fail:

It can become clogged.It can become poisoned.There really is no "inspection port" for the consumer or mechanic to see an actual clog in a converter. Often, the only way to tell if a catalytic converter is malfunctioning (plugged) is to remove it and check the change in engine performance. When a clogged converter is suspected, some mechanics temporarily remove the O2 sensor from the exhaust pipe ahead of the catalytic converter and look for a change in performance.

A catalytic converter relies on receiving the proper mix of exhaust gases at the proper temperature. Any additives or malfunctions that cause the mixture or the temperature of the exhaust gases to change reduce the effectiveness and life of the catalytic converter. Leaded gasoline and the over-use of certain fuel additives can shorten the life of a catalytic converter.

A catalytic converter can also fail because of:

Bad exhaust valves on the engineFouled plugs causing unburned fuel to overheat the converter­Sometimes you can tell that a converter is clogged because you don't go any faster when you push the gas pedal. Also, there usually is a noticeable drop in gas mileage associated with a clogged catalytic converter. A partially clogged converter often acts like an engine governor, limiting the actual RPMs to a fast idle. A totally clogged converter causes the engine to quit after a few minutes because of all the increased exhaust back pressure.

The catalytic converter, like the rest of the emissions system, typically has a warranty length that exceeds the term of the warranty for the rest of a typical U.S. automobile.

Engine Tune-Up Required.A number of problems could occur to the catalytic converter as the result of an engine that is out of tune. Any time an engine is operating outside proper specifications, unnecessary wear and damage may be caused to the the catalytic converter as well as the engine itself. The damage is often the result of an incorrect air/fuel mixture, incorrect timing, or misfiring spark plugs. Any of these conditions could lead to a catalytic converter failure or worse.

Excess Fuel Entering Exhaust.The fuel that powers your vehicle is meant to burn in the combustion chamber only. Any fuel that leaves the combustion chamber unburned will enter the exhaust system and light-off when it reaches the catalytic converter. This can super-heat the converter far above normal operating conditions and cause a Melt Down. Possible causes are an incorrect fuel mixture, incorrect timing, corroded spark plugs, a faulty oxygen sensor, sticking float, faulty fuel injector or a malfunctioning check valve.

Oil or Antifreeze Entering Exhaust.Oil or Antifreeze entering the exhaust system can block the air passages by creating a heavy carbon soot that coats the ceramic catalyst. These heavy Carbon Deposits create two problems. First, the carbon deposits prevent the catalytic converter from reducing harmful emission in the exhaust flow. And second, the carbon deposits clog the pores in the ceramic catalyst and block exhaust flow, increasing backpressure and causing heat and exhaust to back up into the engine compartment. Your engine may actually draw burnt exhaust gasses back into the combustion chamber and dilute the efficiency of the next burn cycle. The result is a loss of power and overheated engine components. Possible causes are worn piston rings, faulty valve seals, failed gaskets or warped engine components.

Deteriorated Spark Plug or Spark Plug Wires.Spark plugs that don't fire or misfire cause unburned fuel to enter the exhaust system. The unburned fuel ignites inside the converter and could result in a partial or complete melt down of the ceramic catalyst. Spark plugs and spark plug wires should be checked regularly and replaced if damaged or if wires are worn or cracked.

Oxygen Sensor Not Functioning Properly.An oxygen sensor failure can lead to incorrect readings of exhaust gasses. The faulty sensor can cause a too rich or too lean condition. Too rich and the catalyst can melt down. Too lean and the converter is unable to convert the hydrocarbons into safe elements and may not pass a state inspection.

Road Damage or Broken Hangers.The ceramic catalyst inside a catalytic converter is made from a lightweight, thin-walled, fragile material. It is protected by a dense, insulating mat. This mat holds the catalyst in place and provides moderate protection against damage. However, rock or road debris s triking the converter or improper or broken exhaust system support can cause a Catalyst Fracture. Once the ceramic catalyst is fractured, the broken pieces become loose and rattle around and break up into smaller pieces. Flow is interrupted and backpressure in the exhaust system increases. This leads to heat build up and loss of power. Possible causes of a catalyst fracture are road debris striking the converter, loose or broken hangers, potholes or off-road driving.

After You Install A New Catalytic Converter,

If your car caused the OEM catalytic converter to fail, it could cause The New Converter To Fail as well. And the warranty that comes with a new replacement catalytic converter does not cover the type of damage listed above.

When I bought my 2006 Frontier the salesman showed me a routine to go through to diagnose the vehicle. I have looked and looked in the owner's manual and can't find it. Anyone out there know how to do it?

We recently bought a '12 LWB SL crew with the 4.0 V6 and are thinking of selling our class C motorhome and buying a trailer in the 3500-4100 dry weight range. Loaded we would come pretty close to the 6000 LB rating. My questions are:

-What kind of MPG have you experienced? in what region, road and terrain?-What are you pulling?-What hitch equipment?-Any transmission or brake issues?

In our class C we're happy when we get over 8mpg towing our Matrix, if the Fronty would be in the single digits, we'll probably stick with our current setup. Thanks for your help!

I have a 2011 4L V6 CC, I have not attempted to pull anything near 6,000 lb, but I have read a lot of posts on other Frontier forums about towing. Also, your owner's manual has a whole chapter on towing. With 6,000 lbs, you would need a Cl IV hitch, and I would get some advice from your RV dealer as to weight distribution, what kind of trailer brakes used, etc, before buying the hitch. I would stick with the Nissan wiring harness, aftermarket types can void your warranty if something goes wrong. I bought a Cl III hitch (5,000 lbs) from a Master Hitch dealer , the Hidden Hitch fits neatly under the rear bumper and looks professsional.

I will only comment on one other thing: MPG is not going to be great. I know I recently read on another Frontier forum that a new RV trailer owner (22ft) averaged 10 mpg on his first trip home with his trailer. Even if you drove like an old man, I can't imagine your mpg would ever crawl above 12-13 mpg over a whole trip, given 6,000 lbs. I wish the Frontier had a diesel !

Nothing really wrong with Edmunds, but there are better(busier) Nissan Frontier owner forums out there. Do a Google search and you will find them !

I'm currently having problems with my transmission working correctly in overdrive. I have to shut the overdrive off in order to stop vibrating at 35 to 40 miles per hour. How did you get Nissan to replace your transmission. I have 87000 miles on my 2005 crew cab 4x4.

My 2007 Frontier has the same problem. I just had the radiator replaced and transmission fluid looked like chocolate milk. They flushed it and put in new transmission fluid. It still has problem of rumbling but not as bad. Does anyone know how to lodge a complaint so that Nissan must do a recall?